Mum`s The Word

Travelling mums have been given the ideal Mother`s Day gift by British Airways - a new look service designed to make flying more fun for their children.

And they know it`ll work because it has been designed by youngsters themselves.

During the last year, hundreds of tiny eyes, ears, taste buds and bottoms have put the airline`s ideas to the test in secret trials all over the country.

School dinner halls, children`s summer camps and family homes up and down the country have all been used as test beds for the new products and services.

The airline`s researchers even shadowed parents and children on their family holiday noting down every comment from check-in to the flight itself and final arrival.

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Nothing was overlooked from the cutlery to the baggage tags, the ticket wallets to the lounges and the results are flying high from today.

Out goes the children`s rucksacks and bum bags, and in comes a new “Treasure Chest” full of toys and games from London`s famous Hamleys toy store, such as magnetic drafts, 3D foam jigsaw puzzles and illuminous drawing boards, which children can help themselves to during the flight.

Meal trays were given the thumbs down by the under 12s, and new sturdy picnic boxes which can be taken off the flight and used in the classroom have been introduced. The children even came up with the idea of including a clever cutlery holder which could double up as a pen and pencil case at the end of the flight.

British Airways carries more than a million globe-trotting tots on its flights around the world every year with the number rising more than any other market.

Of these 130,000 are travelling alone.

For these youngsters, the airline is now offering a new Skyflyers Solo service which starts from the moment they arrive at the airport to the moment they are handed over at the end of the flight.

With safety a priority, every child travelling alone is now given their own distinctive baggage tags, badges and ticket wallets to make them instantly recognisable to staff and to fellow young travellers.

More volunteers from around the airline are also being trained to join the team of British Airways in-flight aunties offering childcare in the clouds to the airline`s lone young flyers.

The new look Skyflyers children`s service is available on all British Airways flights around the world free of charge but must be booked 24 hours in advance.